Recent technological innovations have led to an explosion in usage of consumer electronics, and in particular, portable user devices. It is not unusual for one user to store media content on a myriad of devices (from portable video devices and cell phones to handheld computers and set-top boxes). A problem arises when a user's devices have different sets of requirements and restrictions regarding the type and format of media content that may be delivered to or from a given device. Therefore, sharing media content between a variety of devices can quickly become unwieldy. Another problem arises because consumer electronics, such as portable devices, are prone to failure or loss, which may lead to loss of important, expensive, and sometimes irrecoverable, media content.